Prawn Crackers
by manicpixiedreamgurl
Summary: After the rest of the team has gone home for the night, Jess is left alone to finish a software upgrade, or so she thinks.  She soon realises she isn't the only one who stayed late.  4x06 spoilers
1. Chapter 1   The Fright

**A/N: I started writing this story during one of my many Primeval marathon rewatches so I'm not 100% sure where in the timeline of the show it falls, but it is sometime after Jess and Becker almost get blown up by Ethan's bomb in 4x06. As you can probably tell from the title it was that little stakeout scene that sort of inspired this story.**

**I've had this story sitting in my computer just waiting to be finished (along with a few others) for quite some time now and decided it was finally time to share it with the internet. Please let me know what you think. It has been a really long time since I've actually shared anything I've written and I'd love feedback! **

Chapter 1 - The Fright

Jess hated being alone in the ARC. Especially after hours when everything was so dark and silent. It gave her this eerie feeling that someone or something was watching her. She'd been working with the team long enough to know what is out there. She might not work out in the field like Matt, Becker, Abby and Connor, but she saw plenty from her end on the computer screens. Normally a simple software upgrade like this could run on it's own and she would check on it in the morning, but Lester was in one of his moods and insisted she stay and make sure nothing goes wrong before going home. It seemed like the computers were being especially slow tonight and she was just eager to finish up and get home to the comfort of her flat.

Every little sound made Jess's heart jump, but there was nothing out there. There couldn't be anything out there. All the creatures were safely secured in the menagerie. "It's just the wind," she kept telling herself. 80% complete. Almost done. She almost wished Becker was here with her. She felt safe around him. And it wasn't just because she'd read his file and knew his qualifications. It was more a feeling she got that if he was around, nothing could go wrong. Even when they were trapped in that room with Ethan's bomb, she knew everything would be alright because he was there, calm and composed even in the sight of imminent danger.

Becker was quite a mystery, which intrigued Jess since she felt it was her job as team coordinator to know each and every member of the team better than they know themselves. Plus she's had quite a massive crush on him ever since he brought her that chocolate bar when they started working together! Nothing with oranges. On paper, Becker is highly qualified soldier, but behind that tough soldier boy exterior, she occasionally caught glimpse of a soft, kindhearted man. She remembered the look on his face during the first team meeting when Matt was talking about losing Sarah Page and Connor, Abby and Danny Quinn trapped on the other side of an anomaly. She could tell he was hurting even though he'd never let his pain show through. She remembered the day Abby and Connor returned, his face lit up like never before. There was so much more to Becker than a trigger happy soldier. She sometimes wondered what he is like when he wasn't in uniform.

95% complete. Come on! You'd think with as advanced as the ARC's computer system is something as simple as a software upgrade would take no time at all, but of course that's not how it works. A faint squeaking sound caught Jess off guard…footsteps.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Jess searched through her bag to try and find something that could act as a weapon. She ended up finding a pair of tweezers and cautiously made her way towards the corridor. "Hello?" she repeated, praying it wasn't a creature!

A dark figure was approaching. She could feel her heart racing over 100 beats per minute. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do if she really was in danger. She squinted her eyes a bit to try and get a better visual at the dark figure. It was definitely a man, not a creature, so that was a good sign. As the figure neared, she caught sight of his face in the faint light. It was Captain Becker. She let out the breathe she wasn't even aware she was holding in.

"Becker? What are you doing here? You had me frightened half to death!"

"Sorry." He noticed her arm raised with what looked like a tweezers in her hand and smiled, "What were you going to do with that?" motioning to the tweezers, "Tweeze me to death?"

"What? Oh…um, it was all I could find." She quickly hid her hand behind her back embarrassed. She could feel her the blood rush to her cheeks and was thankful for the darkness so he couldn't see her blush. She was powerless against that smile. A rarity in Becker's case but always delightful. He has a way of making her forget everything around her when he smiles, which is why she was startled when the computer beeped from the other room notifying the upgrade was complete. "I should…" was all she could manage as she turned around and headed back to her desk. She took a deep breath, knowing Becker was following, watching. Being around him always made her nervous. Especially when they are alone. She got that tingling feeling of butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't help it. After a few deep breaths, she composed her self enough and clicked a few buttons on the computer to make sure everything was installed properly, "Done." She spun her chair around, about to stand up when Becker's appearance caught her off guard. He was standing there in blue jeans and a green t-shirt. She'd never seen him out of uniform before. It was a bit weird. She must have been staring because he look down then back up at her.

"What? I own colours other than black," he teased. "You seem surprised."

"Oh, no, it's just I've never seen you out of uniform." He laughed. It's true, no one at the ARC had seem him out of uniform before. Even though the rest of the team wore whatever they wanted, he always thought it was important for all the soldiers to dress in uniform. It was a way of showing unity and promoting camaraderie, and as Captain he made the example. He only had changed into his civvies before leaving today because he was sure no one else was around.

"Come on, I'll walk you out. You are done here right?"

"Yeah." She hit a button to put the computer to sleep, then grabbed her bag and followed him out. Neither of them spoke at first. Even with Becker by her side, Jess still couldn't handle the silence of this place a night. "You never answered me before, what were you doing here so late?" Becker smiled shyly. He was hiding something. "What?" Jess nagged, elbowing him lightly in the arm, almost flirtatiously.

"Okay, promise not to tell the others?" Jess nodded. He took a deep breathe and continued. "Sometimes I like to stay here late, after everyone else has gone home for the night and just take it all in. I know you all see me as this trigger happy soldier guy who loves his guns, but sometimes this work we do just overwhelms me and I remember these creatures aren't just public threats that we have to contain and control, they are prehistoric animals who have come through gateways in time. I've seen what's on the other side of one of those anomalies. It's like nothing you can imagine! The reality of all this, of all that I've seen, of all the I've lost, it scares me sometimes," he paused. They had stopped walking. "After we lost Sarah, I almost quit. I had lost so many people, I just couldn't keep going through that. But they convinced me to stay, they told me they needed me, and I know I'm good at what I do." He paused again, this time taking a deep breath while running his fingers through his hair. "I just don't know how much longer I can keep this going. You don't know how much of a burden this job is! How hard it is each time the alarm goes off to go running toward an anomaly in fear that someone else I care about will be lost forever, or worse, that this time it will be me!" Jess lightly brushed her hand over his arm. She wasn't really sure what to say to him, or what to do. She had never really been go at comforting people, she was more of a hard facts kind of girl. She knew he's lost a lot of people doing this job, she'd read all the files, but one thing the files don't tell you is how it all affects a person. She's always been so focused on the facts and the details, she never stopped to think about the emotional repercussions this job has on the team.

"Becker, I-" she paused and looked up at him noticing a glistening tear leave his eye, "I'm so sorry." She could tell he was trying hard to stay composed. After a moment of standing there in silence, Jess spoke again. "Listen, I'm starved, you wouldn't fancy getting a bite to eat?"

"Sure," he responded. "How about some Chinese? I could really go for some prawn crackers." He smiled slightly, referencing the time she brought him chinese during a stakeout.

"Well at least that cheered him up a bit," Jess thought to herself.

**A/N: Okay so please let me know what you think! I have one more chapter written so far, than the rest is up to you!**


	2. Chapter 2  The Kiss

**A/N: I woke up to an email full of story alerts and reviews and felt the need to post this next chapter right away! I love reading your feedback, so keep it coming! As much as I'd love to continue updating daily, I just don't have the time being a full time student applying to graduate school right now, but I will aim for at least once a week. Okay, without further ado, your next chapter:**

Chapter 2 - The Kiss

It was half eleven and most of the restaurants in the area were closed. They did however manage to find a Chinese takeaway.

"We can bring this back to my place," Becker offered, making Jess feel a bit nervous, again. Alone, with Becker, in his flat, she wondered if he was aware of the fact that this evening was progressing into a bit of a date. Or maybe it was just her emotions clouding her judgement and he simply sees her as a mate. Either way, she was quite curious to see what his flat looks like.

"Sure."

A bit to Jess's disappointment, Becker's flat looked just as she expected. Simple and tidy. It looked as though it either came furnished or he selected a room out of a catalogue and just copied it. There was nothing really personal about the place either. There were no photos, no decor, it didn't have that 'homey' feel. You could tell he probably rarely had company and that he spent very little time there.

Becker placed the takeaway bag on the coffee table, grabbed the television remote and switched it on. The film Jurassic Park was playing. He could tell Jess wasn't pleased.

"Sorry, habit, I can turn it off."

"Oh no it's alright, just anything but that film. Get enough dinosaurs at work!" Jess half laughed, uncomfortably. She joined him on the couch as he flicked through the channels. She started taking the food out of the takeaway bag to giving herself something to do. Being here alone with Becker was making her very nervous. She fancies him, but she doubted he felt the same way. Her hands were shaking. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

He finally settled on a channel. The news. He turned the volume down a bit so it really was just background noise.

"Not a lot on the tele anymore that isn't science fiction. If only people knew how real some of that really is!"

"Tell me about it! I wouldn't be surprised anymore to find out that vampires, wizards and zombies really exist. After a few months of working at the ARC, the impossible just doesn't seem impossible anymore."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jessica."

Jessica. No one ever called her by her full name. Well, except for her mother, but only when she is cross. She hated her name, but when Becker said it, it sounded like the most beautiful name ever! Jessica. He used it in a playful, mocking tone. They both went back to eating their dinners in silent for a while with nothing but the hum of the television. Jess finally broke the silence.

"Can I ask you something?" She put her takeaway box down on the coffee table and shifted her body so she was half facing him on the couch. He looked over at her and nodded, inviting her question. "Why do you keep doing it, this job I mean. Why didn't you just walk away when you had the chance?"

"Because I knew I could never really walk away from this job." He put down his takeaway box as well, pausing before continuing. "This job changes you, which I'm sure you've learned. As a soldier, you are trained to purge your emotions. Getting too emotionally involved could be detrimental, but here, at the ARC, I found myself becoming attached to the people I was working with. When Abby, Connor and Danny disappeared through that anomaly, we made it our first priority to get them back. If we hadn't been so focused on going after them, we'd never have lost Sarah. I blame myself. If only I hadn't let my emotions take over. We should have kept that anomaly locked. Those future predators are too dangerous." His voice began to trail off toward the end.

This was the second time that night, Becker had opened up to Jess. She was beginning to see just how much of a burden this job was on him. All she wanted to do right now was put her arms around him and tell him everything was going to be alright, but she knew she couldn't guarantee that, not in this line of work.

"I still think about quitting all the time," Becker continued, "but I couldn't bare to see anything happen to the team because I wasn't there to protect them. What if something happened to Connor, or Abby, or Matt, or you?" He looked up and caught her eye as he mentioned her. His eyes looked so sad. Jess almost felt as if she could feel his pain in her chest.

She parted her lips to say something, but shut them as she had no words. She licked her lips and noticed his eyes drop from looking into her eyes to staring at her lips.

"Becker?"

"Yeah," he responded shifting his glance back to her eyes as she inched closer to him on the couch. He responded by matching her movement.

"You know I'm always here if you ever just want to talk." She was practically whispering, taking in the warmth of having him so close. He leaned in even closer toward her. She could feel his breath hot against her cheek. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her. There was no denying there was something between them. She saw the way he looked at her. This wasn't all just in her head.

When she couldn't wait another second, she closed the gap between them, bringing her lips to his. He didn't hesitate as he kissed her back, letting his tongue dance with hers. This was not how she imagined her first kiss with Becker would be. Her fantasies when it came to him tended to be hot and steamy! He was usually shirtless, kissing her with much intensity. This kiss however, was better than any of her dreams. It might not have been wild and messy like two star crossed lovers who just can't keep their hands off each other, but it was real and intimate. Though neither had explicitly stated their feelings for each other, the way he opened up to her, told her things he probably never told anyone else, was enough proof his feelings matched her own. Gun-loving, trigger-happy, let's-go-shoot-things, Captain Hilary Becker was opening up his heart and soul for the first time and letting someone penetrate his protective armour. Jess couldn't be happier to be the girl he chose to finally break down his walls for.


	3. Chapter 3 The Morning After

**A/N: I know I said I was going to be too busy to post this weekend, but when you guys keep leaving reviews and adding this story to your favourites, I can't help but want to give you more! So the more you keep telling me how much you like this story, the sooner your next update will be. I just cannot disappoint! **

**Now you all ready to read a little bit into Becker's mind after the couple chapter's from Jess's POV?  
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Chapter 3 - The Morning After

Becker awoke the next morning, afraid it had all been a dream. He laid in bed, eyes closed, running through the events of the previous night in his mind. He tries so hard to be the strong, composed soldier expected of him, but when he is around Jess, it is like his brain melts and he can't think straight. No woman has ever had this effect on him before.

"Woman," he laughs at himself a bit. Jess was what? Eighteen? Nineteen? Hardly a woman, but last night, the way she listened to him, comforted him, kissed him, she was years well beyond her age! He knew that was one of the main reasons he had held himself back for so long. Or at least that is what he told himself. He let her age be an excuse to keep his well forted walls up. But age is but a number, which was something he was starting to realise more and more. She may be young, but she's got an old soul hidden beneath those colourful mini skirts!

Last night, Becker had the opportunity to look at Jess in a new light, both literally and metaphorically. Having the chance to be together outside of the ARC, away from an incursion and imminent danger, he was able to see what was beneath the surface. He wasn't even aware he was doing it, but since the moment he ran into her in the corridor, no uniform, no incursion, just the two of them alone, he was letting her bring his walls down.

He knew he needed to talk to her, to tell her what was on his mind. She did say she was always there if he needed to talk. He checked the clock: 6:53. He had to be at the ARC at 7:30, so the talk would have to wait. Maybe he could get her to join him on the roof for lunch. It was usually pretty quite up there, they could have the chance to talk.

He wondered what it was going to be like to see her today. Would they both just ignore the intimate moment shared the previous night and go on working like nothing happened? An image of Jess sitting at her computers in her red mini skirt with a yellow floral top with matching heels and cardigan made it's way into Becker's mind. Her red lips so kissable, so sweet, so…Jess. He sighed. His mind got away from him. Finally, he brought himself back to reality and decided to take a quick cold shower before getting ready for work.

Due to his minor setback getting up, Becker was a few minutes late getting to the ARC. He slipped into Lester's office just as he was explaining some new tidbit of information with the team. Something about funding or something. Becker only ever half paid attention to Lester during these meetings as most of what he had to say didn't apply to Becker. Today, he found it even harder to listen to his boss as a certain young teammate was occupying many of his thoughts. She hadn't seen him enter as her back was to the door. Her hair was pulled tight into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her soft, sweet neck. Becker imagined running his lips down that neck, kissing her softly. There he goes again. He tried to shake these thoughts from his mind. He forced himself to look away, look anywhere else. He shifted his body so he'd have to actually turn his head to see her and tried to pay attention to Matt who was now telling the team something. He noticed Abby standing across the room staring directly at him. When he caught her eye, she nodded toward Jess, than gave him a smile of affirmation, as if she knew was he had been thinking only a moment ago. Of course, Abby had that woman's intuition when it came to matters of the heart, well any heart but her own, she was a bit oblivious of Connor for quite some time, but that's a story for another time. It wasn't the first time she less than subtly tried to get him to admit what he felt for Jess. Abby had always been that way, teasing Becker about his feelings, but it was the first time Becker felt embarrassed about it. He quickly shift his position and lowered his head. Looking at his feet seemed to be the only safe place. As soon as Matt finished talking and released the team, Becker quickly left the room, not ready to face Jess or wanting to face Abby. Thankfully, the universe seemed to be on his side as he heard the sirens alarm notifying the detection of an anomaly. Becker hastened his pace to the garage, when he got into his van with soldiers, ready to head out to the site.

"Matt, Becker, I'm sending you the coordinates to your SatNavs," the familiar voice rang through his comms. Becker was thankful for this incursion, as he found the adrenaline surge helped him focus his mind on the task at hand. Having her voice inside his head was a bit distracting though.

The team arrived at the scene to find themselves in an abandon warehouse. Their job was always easier when there were no civilians around to protect. Connor quickly shut and locked the anomaly while Becker and his men did a sweep around to see if any creatures had come through before they got there. The place seemed quiet enough. He lowered his weapon, satisfied there was nothing out there.

"East corridor, clear," he spoke into his comms, before heading back to the rendezvous point. Suddenly, one of the empty crates to his right began changing colour, revealing a snake like creature, most likely futuristic with the way it camouflaged perfectly with its surroundings. Becker drew his EMD as quickly as possible, but was too late. He managed to stun the creature, but not before it dug its rather large fangs into Becker's right leg. That last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was Jess's voice in his ear shouting his name.

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><p><strong>So are you surprised with the way this ended? Cos I was! You know how authors sometimes say the characters write the stories themselves, well that is exactly what happened here! I honestly have no idea where this story is going anymore as it is not at all the story I initially started with. It's all the more fun this way any way :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4 The Rescue

**A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting, but I've been working on essays for applications and just have been drained of my creative juices =( I really wanted to give you all an update, but I was struggling a lot with this chapter. I'm still not so happy with the way it turned out, but I can promise the next chapter will be worth the wait! I have ideas, I just need to find some time to write this weekend on my study breaks!  
><strong>

**Also, as always, thank you all for the reviews, alerts and favourites! I honestly can't tell you how happy it makes me to see my email box fill with alerts and your kind words. Please keep telling me what you think! I'm only just getting back into writing, so feedback is always helpful! **

**Okay on with the show!  
><strong>

Chapter 4 - The Rescue

Jess heard Becker give the all clear, but still kept an eye out for him over the CCTV. Now that she understood a bit more about what went on in his mind, she couldn't help but worry about him even more.

She saw it coming before he did. One second, the room was clear, the next an empty crate had transformed itself into a snake. Becker's reflexes were quick, but not quick enough. He managed to shoot the creature, but not before it sunk it's fangs into his leg, injecting its poison.

"BECKER!" Jess heard herself shout into her comms as he collapsed. She knew she needed to call for help, for back up, something, but she was in a state of shock and not able to think clearly.

"Jess, what happened?" she heard Matt ask, but she couldn't find the words to speak. "Becker, do you copy? JESS," he repeated her name in a more firm tone, knowing something had gone wrong. This time, it was him who saw one of the creatures appear out of no where. Luckily it happened directly in his line of vision and he managed to pull his EMD and shoot it, escaping injury. "Everyone, keep you eyes wide open! These creatures could be anywhere, they seem to be invisible until they attack," he announced through his comm. "Let's go back to the trucks and lock this place down until we can come up with a plan. We can't fight invisible creatures!" He heard a few "yes sirs" but still no response from Jess or Becker. It wasn't like either of them not to respond. "Jess, what happened to Becker?"

"He...he was attacked," she replied weakly, trying to keep herself together and focused on her job. She knew it was not only Becker's life who was at stake, but the rest of the team as well. _Jess, you can do this. Pull yourself together, for him,_ she told herself. "He was in the east corridor. One of those creatures came out of no where, he shot it, but not before it bit him. I think they are probably poisonous cos I saw him collapse. I saw it all happen over the CCTV." Matt could hear the fear and worry in her voice.

"Okay, Jess, calm down, call medical. Have them meet me outside the warehouse ASAP with a rig! I'm going after him myself. We have to clear this building until we are able to better assess the situation, these creatures are too dangerous. I've already told every one else to get out. Keep an eye out for me on the CCTV. Let me know if you see anything move. Can you do that for me?" Normally he wouldn't need to ask that last question, but he could tell she was distressed. It was less of questioning her abilities and more an affirmation that he needed her to help him help Becker.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

* * *

><p>Matt managed to get Becker out of the building safely and to the medical team where they transported him back to the ARC for treatment. The team managed to come up with a plan of attack and found all the hidden creatures and sent them back through the anomaly before it closed. The second the incursion was dealt with and the team were back in the vans heading back to the ARC, Jess left her post at the computers and dashed down to medical to check up on Becker.<p>

He was laying in one of the beds in the ARC hospital wing, hooked up to a bunch of different machines and IVs. He was still unconscious and his leg was wrapped up. She broke out in tears at the sight of him, so fragile, so vulnerable, so weak laying there in the hospital bed. This was not supposed to happen, not to Becker, and especially not after last night! But Becker was strong, he would pull through. He had to!

A nurse from the medical team noticed Jess standing over Becker's bed crying. She guided Jess in a chair at his side. She sat there for a while, holding his hand, praying everything was going to be okay.

"Jess." She felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her awake. She hadn't even realised she had fallen asleep. Jess turned around slowly, never letting go of Becker's hand, to find Abby knealing beside her. When Abby had Jess's attention she continued. "Have you heard anything yet?" Jess shook her head. She had been too overwhelmed with shock and grief that she hadn't yet spoken with the doctor. "I'll go find Dr. Burton, you stay here. I'll be right back." Jess nodded and thanked Abby with a forced half smile.

A couple minutes later, Abby returned followed by Dr. Burton, the medical team's lead doctor. He explain to the two women that as suspected, the poison found in Becker's body matches nothing currently known, so the creature must be futuristic. The poison was fast acting and had spread to most of his right leg by the time the medical team started treatment. Since Matt was smart enough to save one creature, an antidote to the poison was able to be made and he seems to be responding well. The amount of damage that has been done to his leg, however, cannot be fully assessed until he wakes up. The coma he is in should be nothing to worry about as it is helping him heal by shutting down areas, such as his consciousness that aren't as important in the healing process and focusing on fighting the poison and the infection. As long as the coma doesn't last for more than a few days, the prognosis looks pretty good, but at this point only time will truly tell.

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><p><strong>I just want to apologise for skipping over how the team managed to take care of the incursion. I didn't want to skip over the details, but I was at a loss of ideas for how to have them find the creatures. Initially the plan was to give them heat vision goggles, but since I had already described the creature as snake-like, the biology major in me couldn't write that in since snakes are exothermic and don't give off heat. I figured it was more important to get back to Jesker and let you all know Becker's prognosis so I took the easy way out. I hate when writers do this so I just feel the need to apologise!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5 Waking Up

**A/N: I've got a bad case of the Mondays and really should be studying for my three exams next week, but I know I owe you all an update! I hope you enjoy this one. And as always, keep leaving me reviews and telling me what you think! I love reading all your comments! Even if I don't respond, I read them all!**

Chapter 5 - Waking Up

Becker awoke in a strange place. He tried to recall the last thing he remembered before waking up. He remembered the incursion, the snake that came out of nowhere, her voice, shouting his name as he collapsed. But it all seemed like a distant memory, or a dream. Maybe he was still sleeping. Maybe it was all a nightmare.

As he came to, he began to realise he was not alone. He could feel a soft, small hand slipped through his own, and the presence of a head resting next to his shoulder. He tried to lift his head to see who was there, though deep down he had an idea, but his head was too heavy for his neck to support. He was weak. He did manage to tilt his head to the side enough to confirm it was Jess sleeping at his bedside. He wondered how long she'd been there. How long had he been there? Suddenly he was very aware of the fact that he was in the hospital wing. That dream of him being attacked, it was not a dream at all.

He took a second to evaluate the situation. He could hear the beeping of the heart monitor he was hooked up too and noticed the IV dripping a clear liquid into his left arm. His body felt heavy and weak, as if he had been run over by truck...well his whole body except for his right leg. For the first time since he woke up, he realised he wasn't really in much pain. He assumed the IV was pumping his body full of some really strong pain killers, but more than not feeling pain, he couldn't feel anything in his right leg. He tried to wiggle his toes, but he couldn't tell if it was working. He began to panic. This was beginning to feel like some of his worst nightmares.

His panic must have woken Jess as he felt her stir at his side. She raised her head and noticed his eyes were open.

"Becker," she said surprised, while flashing him her best smile while trying to fix her bedhead hair style, "you're awake!" He tried to respond, but his vocal chords were weak and he was only able to make a few raspy sounds. "Sh, don't try to speak yet, the doctor said your throat would be weak after they took out the tube."

"Tube?" he whispered shakily. "Wha-?" he began to mouth as Jess cut in, knowing what he wanted to ask, allowing him not to have to strain his voice any longer.

"After that creature bit you, the poison spread quickly throughout your leg and your body went into shock, leaving you unconscious. At one point, you stopped breathing, and were in a coma, so they had to intubate you to help you breathe. Yesterday you starting fighting the vent and breathing on your own so they took the tube out expecting you to wake up soon. I've been sitting here waiting for that moment when you would wake up ever since. Well, actually I've been here for most of the past week." Week? He was out for a week?

He tightened his grip on her hand and attempted a smile as a way of saying thank you. As much as he hated himself for putting her through the pain and worry she must have been in over the last week, he was happy to see how much she cared. He began thinking about the kiss they shared last night, well his last night anyway. A bigger smile creeped its way across his face. No matter what happened next, if he ever regained use of his leg, it suddenly seemed so small compared to the love he felt for the girl sitting at his side. Maybe opening himself up for a real relationship wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe this could work.

"I'm going to go find Dr. Burton and let him know you're awake. I'll be right back." He gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

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><p>Becker stayed in the ARC hospital wing for another week before the doctors released him. He was starting to regain use of his right leg again, but he was going to need a lot of physical therapy before he was back to his full strength. Jess had been by his side the entire time. She was the best. He probably wouldn't have been recovering so fast if it weren't for her support and pressure. She made sure he didn't cheat his way through his rehabilitation therapy.<p>

Now that he was getting released from the hospital, he wanted to do something special for her. He wanted to show her how thankful he was for her helping him through this and also show her how much she means to him. It's been two weeks since they shared that kiss and neither one has brought it up since. He knows now, he is ready. Nothing like a nearly fatal attack to give you some perspective on the important things in life!

Since he was still hadn't gained full use of his leg back yet, he knew he was going to need some help putting together this thank you for Jess. Plus, when it came to relationships and romance, he was a bit lost. He always tried to avoid that direction for fear of getting hurt, or worse, hurting the ones he cares about most. But he wanted to best for Jess, and for that he knew exactly who he needed help from.

He found Abby alone in her office, playing with Rex. With Becker's absence, Lester decided it was a good time to give the beta team more training, so the rest of the team had had it pretty slow. That was how Jess had so much time to spend at Becker's bedside, ensuring his full recovery.

"Becker, it's good to see you up and about. How's everything going?" Abby asked.

"Leg's still sore and can only take me so far, but at least I'm able to walk now!" He shut the door behind him sat down in a chair, elevating his leg. Just the walk from the hospital wing to Abby's office had left his leg feeling like he just ran a marathon. Now that he was here, in Abby's office, he felt a bit shy asking her what he was about to ask.

"Not that I don't appreciate the visit, but I have a feeling you came here for more than just my chair," Abby prompted, picking up that he had come for a reason, even if he hadn't said anything yet.

"Right. Yeah. I was hoping you'd help me with something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, I really want to do something for Jess, you know a way to say thank you cos she's really been great these past couple of weeks helping me get through, but I don't know what and considering I can barely walk from the hospital wing to here without having to rest my leg, I'm going to also need help setting it all up."

Abby was trying to contain the smile on her face. She'd known something was going on between them for quite some time, probably for longer than they have known themselves! It was only a matter of time before they both came to realise their feelings for one another. She knew Jess was already there. They had talked about it, but she'd been afraid he didn't feel the same way. She knew Jess was wrong, but she'd seen Becker deal with a lot over the years they'd been working together and she knew she had to let him get there in time. Her and Becker were quite similar in that respect. After all, she ignored Connor for how long until they got trapped alone in the Cretaceous period and she finally couldn't ignore her feelings any longer? She was glad Becker was finally getting there. She understood his uneasiness with getting involved romantically with this job, especially with someone else on the team since they are constantly in high risk situations. Connor was not the easiest man to love, but sometimes you just can't control matters of the heart. Becker deserved happiness, probably more than anybody, so she was going to personally make sure this worked out!

"Becker, my man, don't you worry. We are going to plan the best 'thank you' Jess has ever received!" She was already starting to plan it in her head.

* * *

><p><em>So what kind of surprise 'thank you' do you think Abby has in mind?<br>_


	6. Chapter 6 Moon River

**A/N: School and applications are kicking my ass right now so I haven't been able to put as much time into this story as I'd like. I want to just thank everyone who is sticking with me even with my infrequent updates! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I had fun planning out Becker and Abby's little surprise!  
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**Okay, now on with the show!**

Chapter 6 - Moon River**  
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Jess was a bit upset Becker chose to leave the ARC early with Abby. She knew he had just been released from being stuck in the hospital for two weeks, but she was at least hoping that after all she had done for him, she would be the one to take him home. She was even more upset that he didn't even tell her he got released. She stopped by the hospital wing on her lunch break, hoping to be there when the doctors finally approved his discharge, but to her surprise, he was already gone. She knew they hadn't actually talked about their relationship and that kiss they shared before his attack, but she at least thought they were both on the same page here.

The rest of the day went by very slowly! Jess was in a foul mood about Becker and just stuck to her desk pretending to be doing work to avoid having to deal with anyone else. The beta team was still handling all anomaly activity so until Lester reinstated the team, _her team,_ as lead, her duties were kind of lax, checking up on all the computer programs, supervising the beta team coordinator, looking after Becker. By the time the end of her shift came around, she was looking forward to the comfort of a nice, hot, relaxing bubble bath.

* * *

><p>Jess entered her bedroom to find a dress laid out on her bed. It was her little black dress that fit snuggly in all the right places, accentuating her curves. Jess had always been a more colourful girl when it comes to clothing, but every girl needs to own that skimpy black dress that drives the fellas crazy, and this was hers.<p>

Attached to the dress was a note that read:

_Jess,  
>Put this on and meet me on the roof.<br>Don't ask questions.  
>Abby<em>

She really was not in the mood for whatever Abby had planned. This wasn't the first time Abby had taken the initiative to make Jess join her for a night on the town, bars, clubs, that whole scene. Jess much preferred a girls night of pjs and ice cream spent watching old Audrey Hepburn movies. She was about to pull out her phone to call Abby and tell her she was too exhausted to join her tonight when her phone rang. "Abby," the display read. _Speak of the devil_ thought Jess.

"Listen Abby," Jess said answering the phone, "I'm really not-" Abby cut her off.

"No, trust me, you are not bailing on me! I know how rough these past couple of weeks have been on you, you've practically been living in that hospital wing. Becker is fine. In a few more weeks, he'll be back to normal! Tonight is all about you. You deserve to have some fun, take a break from playing nurse-maid, so go take a shower, put on that dress, and meet me up on the roof in half an hour or I will drag you out of the flat myself if that is what it takes! I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!" Before Jess even had a chance to retort, Abby hung up.

Jess didn't have the energy to try and come up with an excuse to get out of this. She knew how persistent Abby could be, so decided she would oblige. Abby might be able to make her put on a dress and go out, but she didn't have to enjoy it! She hopped in the shower and prepared for Abby's dreaded girl's night out.

As Abby hung up the phone, Becker turned toward her.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea? From the way you had to threaten her into coming, I'm not so sure anymore."

"Becker, don't worry, she probably just thinks I'm dragging her along to another girl's night out of dancing and clubbing. I know she isn't the biggest fan of the club scene, but I can drive a hard bargain! Plus, the second she sees you up here, she'll forget she ever tried to get out of it."

"You think so?"

"I know so! Now let's finish up here, we don't have much time!"

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><p>Twenty seven minutes later, Jess had showered and dressed in the dress Abby had left out for her. She paired the black dress with her fire engine red pumps, a few pieces of red accessories, including a bracelet, waist belt, and some dangling earrings. She glossed her lips with red lipstick and minimal make up. She really wasn't into getting all made up when she wasn't even in the mood to go out. She did a once over in the mirror, making sure she looked presentable, grabbed her clutch, and went to meet Abby up on the roof. Not quite sure why they had to meet on the roof, but she had long since learned not to question Abby when she had plans, whether they made sense or not.<p>

As Jess made her way up onto the roof, she thought she could hear the faint melody of "Moon River", the main theme from her favourite film, Breakfast at Tiffany's.

"Abby?" She called out. It was dark. As she turned to the left, she could see a pair of flickering lights. They looked to be candlelights. She walked in that direction, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness so she could see whatever it was Abby had in store. The music grew louder and this time she was certain it was "Moon River". She was utterly confused as to what her crazy friend had planned. This was out there, even for Abby!

Just then, the direction she was heading lit up. She noticed the pair of candlelights was coming from two tall candles placed in the centre of a table. Surrounding the table were white twinkle lights, like the kind used to decorate a Christmas tree, wrapped around four poles, creating a sort of light canopy. In the middle, limping toward her on one crutch, was Becker, dressed in a suit and tie, hair combed over to the right, in his best attempt at a Paul Varjak look. In his free hand, she noticed a little blue box. It was almost Tiffany's blue.

Realising, Becker and Abby had probably worked all day to put this together for her, she began to cry. She was upset with herself for doubting Becker earlier when she found out he left without telling her he'd been discharged. She felt like an idiot for thinking she had misinterpreted everything between them from that night when clearly she was wrong. And she was overcome with joy and relief that he really does reciprocates her feelings.

Oblivious to everything going on in Jess's mind, Becker noticed tears begin to stream down her cheeks. Shit, he thinks. This was too much. He told Abby he should have just done something simpler. He really wasn't the big romantic gesture kind of guy anyway! He shoved the box in his pocket and slowed his pace as he neared her.

"Jess, I-" he begins.

Before he was able to apologise for whatever he did to make her cry, she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him smack on the lips. He was taken aback, not expecting that reaction, and if it weren't for the crutch holding him up, she probably would have knocked him over.

"Wha-What was that for?" he asked as she pulled away. He was confused. Not sure how to react. The crying, the kiss…women…?

"This," she replied gesturing toward the scene he had set up behind them. "When I found out you left the hospital without telling me, I was hurt. I was supposed to be the one to take you home, I was the one who had been there for these past two weeks! I thought maybe you realised the night, before the attack, had been a mistake, and you just didn't want to tell me. I'm sorry. It's just been a long day and I was overcome with emotions."

"No, no, I'm sorry. It didn't cross my mind how you would react to my leaving the hospital early without telling you. I was so set on finding a way to thank you for everything you've done, for helping me get through this, for being there, for being you." Tears started forming in her eyes again. "Abby helped me put this all together, most of it was her idea. Is it too much? I told her it was too dramatic!"

"It's perfect!" The smile on Jess's face shone brighter than ever before. He knew she was sincere. Maybe Abby was right. After all, she knew much more about romancing than he did. Becker's smile matched Jess's. He gestured toward the table.

"Shall we?" he asked offering her his free arm to direct her toward the table. She nodded as she looped her arm through his and followed him to the table.

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer: I haven't actually seen Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's been one of those films I've always meant to watch but just haven't ever gotten around to it. I do however know a bit about the film and I did my googling so I hope the little tidbits reference Breakfast at Tiffany's are accurate. I would have chosen a film I've seen, but I just feel like Jess would be an Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's kind of girl since she loves those romance novels so much!<em>

_Oh and as always don't forget to click that little button down there and tell me what you thought!_


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